Improvement in rotary valves



UNITED STATES PATENT EEICEG WILLIAM E. WORTHEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56.657. dated July 24,1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. WORTHEN, of the city, county and State ofNew York, have invented a new and useful Rotary Valve and Out-Oft'applicable to Steam, l/Vater, and Gas Engines, and I do hereby declarethat the following, taken in connection with the drawings, is a full,clear, and exact description thereof.

In the drawings, Figure l. is an elevation of the valve and valve-chestand part of the side pipe and cylinder. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionthrough the saine. Fig. 3 is a section at right angles to the formerthrough the valvechest, exhibiting the cut-off ring, the valveseat, andthe screw for adjusting the cut-oft'. Fig. 4 is a section through thecut-oft' ring, and through the apertures therein. Fig. 5 is an elevationof the ring.

This valve, as shown in the drawings, acts to admit steam to and permitthe escape of steam from both ends of a cylinder, but by suppressing oneopening or port in the seat is applicable to oneend of a cylinder only,and it rotates upon a dat or nearly tlat seat, the rotation beingeffected by a pitch-chain, cog-gearing, or any other suitable mechanicaldevices.

In the drawings a portion of a cylinder is shown at a a a, portions ofside pipes at b b, the valve-chest at c c, and the ports at d d in thevalve-seat e e.

The upper part of the valve-chest is bored out cylindrically, as at j'f, Fig. 2, and I prefer to bore it cylindrically throughout, althoughthat part forming the steam-passage g g may be of any proper form.

The steam-passage g g is of greater diameter than the upper part of thechest and eX- tends round the chest. Steam is admitted from a generator,or water from a pipe at h passes into the passage, thence to the cavityof the valve, and thence to the ports.

The valve h h is cylindrical, and has two distinct cavities formed init. One of them, h2 h2, extends from the face to the back of the valve.The other, h3, extends from the face through that part of the peripheryof the valve which is opposite the steam passage. The openings in thesecavities may be of any proper form. I prefer to make both openings inthe valve-face of the same form and dimensions as the ports d d. Thevalve is packed to the valve-chest either by a gland and stuffing-box orin other proper manner. A ring or hoop, 7c k, tits closely around thelower periphery of the valve. l prefer to bore this ring a littlesmaller than the valve, to slit it and grind it to the valve. In thisring are two passages, k k2, and the ring is prevented from turning withthe valve by means of a rack upon the ring and a screw, m. The positionof the openings 7c k2 can be varied with respect to the ports by meansof this screw. As the steam enters this valve at the periphery insteadof at the back, asin other rotating valves, the pressure within thecavity through which the steam passes to enter the cylinder will tend tolift the valve oft' its seat, and the fric tion is transferred from theseat to the appliances which hold the valve in con tact with the seat.Consequently the wear of the face of the valve and of the seat is small,the valve remains tight for a longer period, and is more easily moved.

The appliances for coniining the valve to its seat are a yoke, n, and ascrew, o, which latter bears upon apipe, p, thatrests upon the backofthe valve. This pipe is the escape-pipe, and does not revolve with thevalve.

Atlan ge or screw bearing directly upon the back of the valve, or anyother proper instrumentality for holding it down upon the seat, may besubsttitued for those devices shown in the drawing, and any properdevice for holding and moving the cut-oring k may be substituted for thescrew and rack.

The action of the valve when revolved is as follows: Steam entersthrough the aperture h into the passage g, thence through one of theopenings k' k2 into the opening in the cavity h3, and thence through theport that may be under that cavity, through the side pipe connectingtherewith, and into the cylinder. Escape-steam passes out through theside pipe, through one of the ports into the cavity h2 71,2, and throughthe exhaust-pipe p. As the valve revolves steam will enter the cavity h3as long as the aperture therein at the periphery or any part thereotl isopposite any part of either of ,the openings k lil, and will pass fromthe cavity either by pressure or expansion as long as any part of theopening in the face of the valve is over either of the ports d d; andthe angular position of the valve with respect to the position of thepiston in the cylinder and the size of the cavities in the valve-face,as also the lsize of the ports, must be so adj usted as to give suchleads in steam and exhaust and such amount of fixed cut-ofias may bedesirable, and it is evident that the valve will work properly, eitheras a full-stroke valve or as a valve cutting ott' at a fixed and non-adjustable point, without the cut-oft' ring.

Byaltering the position of the cut-off ring the admission of steam intothe steam-cavity of the valve may be stopped before the opening of thatcavity in the valve-face leaves the port that may happen to be below it.The

turning of the screw will therefore adjust the point of cut-off.

I claim as of my own invention- 1. A rotating steam-valve provided witha cavity extending from the periphery to the face of the valve, asdescribed, in combination with a seat, substantially such as described,and proper appliances, as specified, for holding the valve on its seat.-

2. A rotating valve provided with two cavities, substantially such asdescribed, in combination with proper appliances for holding the valveon its seat, a valve-seat, and a chest provided with a steam-passage,all substantially such as described, and all operating in combination,as set forth.

3. In combination with a rotating valve and a steam-passage, anadjustable cutoff ring, the combination being substantially such asspecified and acting substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed lny name.

W. E. WORTHEN.

In presence of- JOHN AVERY, ENG. LEBEUF.

